Westminster attack: man shot by police and several hurt in ‘terrorist incident’

A policeman has been stabbed and his apparent attacker shot by officers at the Houses of Parliament in an incident that the Met is treating as terrorism.

The Commons leader, David Lidington, told MPs that a “police officer has been stabbed” and the “alleged assailant was shot by armed police” following a “serious” incident within the parliamentary estate.

Scotland Yard said police had been called to a firearms incident on Westminster Bridge amid reports of several people injured.

Lidington said: “There are also reports of further violent incidents in the vicinity of the Palace of Westminster but I hope colleagues on all sides will appreciate that it would be wrong of me to go into further details until we have confirmation from the police and from the house security authorities about what is going on.”

Pictures emerged after the incident showing multiple people injured, lying on the ground on the left and right hand side of Westminster bridge. Images showed several people on the ground, bleeding on the bridge that leads towards the Houses of Parliament. At least two women and two men were among those injured. One picture appeared to show a women underneath a London bus.

It is understood Scotland Yard’s counter-terrorism command is involved in the investigation. Plans for a London-wide emergency have been put into place as a precaution, but police are hopeful the incidents are over.

Two people were seen to be lying within Old Palace Yard, immediately outside Westminster Hall. The sitting in the House of Commons was suspended while police officers sealed off the area around the incident. Staff inside parliament were told to stay inside their offices.

Minutes after the incident, an emergency services helicopter landed in Parliament Square, as sirens were heard outside. Air ambulance medics came from the helicopter to assist the casualties.

Immediately before the incident, at around 2.45pm, people were seen running from the direction of Westminster Bridge and around the corner into Parliament Square.

A Downing Street source confirmed that the prime minister, Theresa May, was “OK”. May was seen being ushered into a silver Jaguar car as what sounded like gunfire rang out at parliament during the incident at around 2.45pm.

More details soon . . .